Carbon nanotubes have unique electronic and mechanical properties. Incorporation of carbon nanotubes into various polymeric materials can provide new composites having high modulus and strength, as well as low density. Composites containing carbon nanotubes can be useful in a variety of applications, including aerospace applications, electromagnetic shielding, and ballistic protection. Various methods of making composites comprising carbon nanotubes and polymers are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,134 relates to a single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite comprising a single wall carbon nanotube having at least one end chemically bonded to a polymer. Also disclosed is a process for producing a single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite comprising the steps of: (a) contacting single wall carbon nanotubes with an acid, wherein at least a portion of said carbon nanotubes form acid derivatized nanotubes, each of said acid derivatized nanotubes having at least one carboxylic acid attached to at least one end of the nanotube; (b) contacting the product of step (a) with one or more polymer precursors to form a pre-polymer product; and (c) polymerizing the pre-polymer product of step (b) to form a single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,153,903 discloses a method for producing single walled carbon nanotube-filled composites using an in situ polymerization process comprising the steps of: combining single-walled carbon nanotubes with a monomer in the presence or absence of a polymerization catalyst; activating the polymerization catalyst if needed; exposing the mixture to polymerization conditions thereby resulting in a polymer mixture having the single-walled carbon nanotubes highly dispersed therein; thereby forming the single-walled carbon nanotube-filled composite. Also disclosed is a method of forming carbon nanotube-filled composites using miniemulsion polymerization.
Published US Patent Application No. 2010/0210781 discloses a polymer composition which includes carbon nanotubes in a resin matrix such as cyclic butylene terephthalate where the resin matrix is compounded into a polymer matrix.
Published US Patent Application No. 2010/0324656 relates to carbon composites and methods of manufacturing same, and more particularly, to a carbon composite having a relatively high loading of carbon nanotubes. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing a composite, whereby at least one sheet of non-woven carbon nanotubes or nanofibers may be infiltrated with an appropriate resin.
There is an existing need for improved methods for the preparation of carbon nanotube-polymer composites. There is an existing need for methods of making well-consolidated composites, methods which can be used for the fabrication of large-scale materials in an economical manner.